Reinforced dike

ABSTRACT

A reinforced dike including two spaced piles of bags filled with a granular material, a hydraulic fill disposed in the space between the piles and at least one porous reinforcing element secured to the piles and extending between the piles in contact with the hydraulic fill.

United States Patent [191' Auriat et al.

[ June 24, 1975 REINFORCED DIKE [75] Inventors: Edouard Auriat, Montrouge; Yves Gaudard, Lyon, both of France Rhone-Poulenc-Textile, Paris, France 22 Filed: Apr.6, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 348,473

[73] Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 24, 1972 France 72.14763 [52] US. Cl 61/30; 61/1 R; 52/426 [51] Int. Cl E02b 7/02 [58] Field of Search 61/30, 31, 7, 1 R, 29,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,047,197 7/1936 Fordyce 61/38 Primary ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe Assistant ExaminerAlex Grosz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sherman & Shalloway 57] ABSTRACT A reinforced dike including two spaced piles of bags filled with a granular material, a hydraulic fill disposed in the space between the piles and at least one porous reinforcing element secured to the piles and extending between the piles in contact with the hydraulic fill.

15 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 REINFORCED DIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to reinforced liquid barriers, such as dikes, and more particularly to reinforced dikes made from masses of granular elements, such as earth, sand, stone or similar non-cohesive materials, and textile materials for retaining and reinforcing the masses of granular elements.

2. Discussion of the prior art It has been customary to construct liquid barriers for the control or containment of bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, seas and other estuaries. Dikes constructed of piles of granular material, such as sand, earth, stones and the like, have often been used for this purpose.

Recently, attempts have been made to build dikes from low cost materials which require much less time and equipment for assembly of the barrier. Dikes built by stacking sand bags in water have been known in the art and are discussed in an article published in the German periodical Melliand Textilberichte, Vol. 43, No. 3 and 4 of 1962, pages 243-247 and 253-258. These dikes, while being easy to construct and formed of inexpensive materials, suffer a major disadvantage as water barriers due to the lack of stability resulting from the tendency of the bags to slide on one another and to be carried away by the action of the water flow or current.

It is also known, as disclosed in French Pat. Application No. 2,006,203, that dikes can be reinforced with non-woven sheets or strips or spunbonded non-woven materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reinforced dike of non-coherent masses of granular material, such as earth particles, sand, gravel, stones and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reinforced dike by stacking bags of granular material in piles.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reinforced dike which may serve as an extremely strong and durable low cost dike which can be quickly constructed in emergencies and which is also functional as a permanent liquid barrier.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a reinforced dike formed of spaced piles of bags filled with a granular material, a hydraulic fill in the 7 space between the piles of bags and a porous reinforcing element connecting the piles and passing through or under the hydraulic fill.

The present invention has another object in the use of non-woventextile materials for forming the granular filled bags and for forming the reinforcing element.

Some of the advantages of the reinforced dike of the present invention over the prior art are that the reinforced dike may be quickly and easily constructed from inexpensive materials normally found at the construction site, the non-woven textile material provides reinforcement which allows passage of water but prevents the passage of the granular material, a stable barrier may be quickly constructed out of inexpensive materials which are substantially rot-proof and durable over prolonged periods of time, and dikes of any size may be easily constructed of granular material and textile material.

The present invention is generally characterized in a reinforced dike including two spaced piles of bags filled with a granular material, a hydraulic fill disposed in the space between the piles, and at least one porous reinforcing element secured to the piles and extending between the piles in contact with the hydraulic fill.

Other objects-and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-section of the reinforced dike of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is across-section of another embodiment of the reinforced dike of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the reinforced dike of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the reinforced dike of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, the reinforced dike is shown as including two spaced piles generally indicated at 10 and 12 formed of bags 14 filled with a granular material 16 stacked at random on top of one another on the ground or base indicated generally at 18. A hydraulic fill indicated generally at 20 is disposed in the space between piles 10 and 12. The hydraulic fill is generally a granular material mixed with a fluid material, such as water. A reinforcing element 22 is shown traversing the space between piles 10 and 12 and passing under the hydraulic fill 20. Reinforcingelement 22 is secured to the bags 14 of the piles l0 and 12 and to the base or ground 18 beneath the hydraulic fill 20 by means of iron pins 24. While the reinforcing element should be secured to the piles 10 and 12, it need not necessarily be secured to the ground or base 18 between the two piles; however, securing the reinforcing element to the ground has the advantage of increasing the stability of the dike. Securing means other than iron pins are, of course, suitable in the present invention and may vary significantly with the type of material used in the construction of the reinforcing element. Examples of acceptable securement means include iron pins shown in FIG. 1, plastic clamps, pins or the like, bags with hooks around which the reinforcing element may be tied, sewing or stitching of the reinforcement element to the bag material, velcro-type loop and hook fasteners, waterproof adhesives, thermowelding of plastic fibers of non-woven or other textile materials, and other similar means.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the reinforced dike utilizes several reinforcing elements 26 which pass through the hydraulic fill 20 in addition to a base reinforcing element 28 which transverses the ground or base beneath the entire dike. In this figure, it is noted that the reinforcing element 28 is secured to the ground or base by the iron pins while the additional reinforcing elements 26 are secured at each end to a bag 14 of the granular material. The method of securement of the ends of the reinforcing element 26 to the textile material of bag 14 is conveniently achieved by sewing or thermowelding in this embodiment.

In the top view of the reinforced dike of FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing elements 26 spanning the space between piles and 12 are clearly demonstrated. It is, of course, also noted that a single sheet of textile material may be utilized as the reinforcing element in place of the several elements shown in FIG. 3. The reinforcing elements of the present invention, therefore, may be sheets, strips, ropes or cables of the appropriate textile material. The illustration of FIG. 3 also demonstrates the substantially parallel arrangement of piles l0 and 12. While particularly advantageous results are achieved by this substantially parallel arrangement, other arrangements of the spaced piles are suitable for the dike structure.

One particularly advantageous result of the present invention is achieved by constructing a reinforced dike as shown in FIG. 4. This illustrates a dike of an extremely strong and stable structure which may be quickly and easily constructed by workers with no previous training or skill in the construction of dikes. As can be readily seen, a first layer 32 of bags of granular material may be placed on the ground or other similarly stable base 18 with another layer 34 of bags of the granular material placed on the ground adjacent the first layer. A first sheet or strip of the porous reinforcing element 36 can then be placed over the two layers of bags and secured, for example, by pinning the reinforcing element with U-shaped members 38 that are forced through the textile material into the granular material contained in the bags. Having, thus, constructed the first layer, a second layer may be formed in the same manner as the first. Layers three, four and so on may be likewise constructed until the desired height of the dike is attained. The space between the two piles of bags of granular material may then be filled with a mixture of sand and water or other similar granular material constituting the hydraulic fill 20. It is, of course, recognized that the hydraulic fill may be added layerby-layer during the construction of the dike if wide strips of reinforcement elements are utilized, or if such procedure otherwise facilitates the construction operation. The completed reinforced dike, while quickly constructed with very inexpensive materials, contains a great amount of reinforcement in the form of individual layers each reinforced and, therefore, is extremely stable as each layer is stabilized in and of itself. The combination of several of these layers, as shown in FIG. 4, results in a dike that can withstand the force of great amounts of water and yet allow sufficient passage of water through the individual components of the dike.

One particular advantage of the present invention is achieved by reinforced dike construction using sand as thegranular material of the present invention. It is further recognized, however, that granular material suit able for the present invention also includes the noncoherent particulate granular materials, such as earth, gravel, stones and the like, which are readily available and which may be easily obtained even at the site of construction of the dike itself.

Accordingly, the bags of the piles can be easily made by simple filling with the granular material. One such standard filling operation includes the pumping of the granular material in a mixture with water wherein the excess water is eliminated as the filling takes place by passing through the walls of the bags. Accordingly, the bags are constructed of a textile material which holds the granular material within the bag and yet allows the passage of water therethrough. One such textile material of particular advantageous qualities is the nonwoven textile materials of the spunbonded type.

By non-woven material of the spunbonded type, it should be understood that such non-woven sheets of materials are formed of continuous filaments generally arranged at random throughout the sheet. The preparation or manufacture of the sheets is by conventional methods, such as extruding a synthetic polymer to form the individual filaments, orienting the filaments obtained by drawing from the extruded solutions, receiving the filaments on a mobile conveyor in the form of a sheet and binding them together, at least on the surface, by performing a calibrating or calendaring operation on the sheet. Other non-woven materials may be formed from natural or synthetic fibrous materials by conventional wet or dry laid operations. Suitable fibrous materials for use in the bags of the present invention include the conventional extruded filaments of non-woven sheets including polyesters, such as polyethylene glycol terephthalate; polyamides, such as polyhexamethylene adipamides, and polycaproamides; polyvinyl compounds, such as polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylidene chloride and their derivatives; polyolefins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and the like, and other organic fibers, such as cellulose acetate, polyacrylonitriles and the like.

While the non-woven textile materials of synthetic filaments are the preferred material for making the bags of the present invention, other textile materials may also be used, such as conventional woven textile fabrics, such as burlap and other natural and synthetic fibrous materials.

Excellent durability and stability of the dike is achieved through the use of synthetic polymeric materials to form the reinforcing elements. These synthetic polymers are highly rot-proof and resistant to deterioration and any chemical action from the fluid material of the hydraulic fill or body of water acting on the reinforced dike. The sheets, strips, ropes or cables are preferably made of the non-woven textile materials of the spunbond type described as preferred for the gravel containing bag material. The non-woven material provides sufficient strength with a degree of porosity sufficient to allow fluid to flow effectively through the material but also sufficient to hold the granular material against substantial shifting and displacement from the dike structure. Extremely wide sheets of the porous non-woven material can be placed in the space between the piles and secured to the piles of bags which have been positioned for the dike structure. It is particularly advantageous that the reinforcing element be porous to allow fluid flow therethrough. Implementation of non-porous reinforcing materials may weaken the dike as the pressure from fluid flow in the space between the piles could destroy the reinforcement by causing separation from the piles or tearing of the element. Sheets, strips, ropes or cables of the required porosity are commercially available and inexpensive to manufacture from the aforementioned materials. Thus, a high degree of versatility .is allowed in the choice of reinforcing elements to secure the granular material against shifting movement or other errosion under the force of the water flowing through the dike or impounded by the dike. Yet, the stable dike is provided which allows the use of. inexpensive granular material which is not eroded or washed away and which also allows a sufficient flow of water therethrough.

The use of these reinforced dikes of the present invention can be achieved in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be adapted to particularly suit the surrounding terrain and degree of water control desired.

While the present invention has been described primarily with the employment of two elongated piles of bags filled with granular material, it is recognized that more than two piles may be constructed to form more than a single space for placement of the hydraulic fill. The additional piles may likewise be reinforced by a porous reinforcement element which is secured to each pile and which is contiguous with the hydraulic fill disposed in the space between the piles. In this manner, dikes in a great variety of forms and configurations may be constructed which would contain different ratios of granular material and water in each space between the piles.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all subject matter described above or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A reinforced dike comprising two spaced piles of bags filled with a granular material said bags constructed of a textile material consisting of a non-woven sheet of continuous filaments;

a hydraulic fill disposed in the space between said piles; and at least one porous non-woven textile reinforcing element secured to said piles and extending between said piles through said hydraulic fill, said reinforcing element being sufficiently porous to allow fluid flow therethrough and having sufficient strength to hold said granular material against substantial shifting and displacement from the dike structure.

2. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said spaced piles are disposed in substantially parallel relationship.

3. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one reinforcing element extends under said hydraulic fill.

4. The dike as recited in claim 3 comprising a plurality of said porous non-woven textile reinforcing elements extending through said hydraulic fill, at least one of said reinforcing elements being at a higher vertical level than at least one other of said reinforcing elements, each reinforcing element being secured at each end portion to each of said piles.

5. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said filaments are formed of a synthetic polymer.

6. The dike as recited in claim 5 wherein said synthetic polymer is a polyethylene glycol terephthalate.

7. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said porous reinforcing element is a non-woven sheet of continuous filaments.

8. The dike as recited in claim 7 wherein said continuous filaments are formed of a synthetic polymer.

9. The dike as recited in claim 8 wherein said synthetic polymer is a polyethylene glycol terephthalate.

10. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said porous reinforcing element is formed of strips of nonwoven continuous filaments.

11. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said porous reinforcing element is formed of ropes of a synthetic polymeric material.

12. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said granular material is a non-cohesive material selected from the group consisting of earth, sand, gravel and stone.

13. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic fill is a mixture of sand and water.

14. A reinforced dike comprising a first layer of bags filled with granular material;

a second layer of bags filled with granular material spaced from and disposed in substantially parallel relationship to said first layer;

at least one additional layer of bags filled with granular materials placed over each of said first layer and second layer forming two spaced piles of bags disposed in substantially parallel arrangement;

at least one porous non-woven textile reinforcing element placed between each such additional layer and the immediate subjacent layer in each of said spaced piles and secured to the immediate subjacent layer in each of said piles, and;

a hydraulic fill disposed in the space between said piles;

said bags being constructed of a textile material consisting of a non-woven sheet of continuous filaments, and

said reinforcing elements extending between said piles through said hydraulic fill and being sufficiently porous to permit the passage of fluid therethrough and having sufficient strength to hold said granular material against substantial shifting and displacement from the dike structure. v

15. The dike as recited in claim 14 wherein said porous reinforcing elements are formed of strips'of nonwoven continuous filaments of a synthetic polymeric material. 

1. A reinforced dike comprising two spaced piles of bags filled with a granular material said bags constructed of a textile material consisting of a non-woven sheet of continuous filaments; a hydrauLic fill disposed in the space between said piles; and at least one porous non-woven textile reinforcing element secured to said piles and extending between said piles through said hydraulic fill, said reinforcing element being sufficiently porous to allow fluid flow therethrough and having sufficient strength to hold said granular material against substantial shifting and displacement from the dike structure.
 2. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said spaced piles are disposed in substantially parallel relationship.
 3. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one reinforcing element extends under said hydraulic fill.
 4. The dike as recited in claim 3 comprising a plurality of said porous non-woven textile reinforcing elements extending through said hydraulic fill, at least one of said reinforcing elements being at a higher vertical level than at least one other of said reinforcing elements, each reinforcing element being secured at each end portion to each of said piles.
 5. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said filaments are formed of a synthetic polymer.
 6. The dike as recited in claim 5 wherein said synthetic polymer is a polyethylene glycol terephthalate.
 7. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said porous reinforcing element is a non-woven sheet of continuous filaments.
 8. The dike as recited in claim 7 wherein said continuous filaments are formed of a synthetic polymer.
 9. The dike as recited in claim 8 wherein said synthetic polymer is a polyethylene glycol terephthalate.
 10. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said porous reinforcing element is formed of strips of non-woven continuous filaments.
 11. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said porous reinforcing element is formed of ropes of a synthetic polymeric material.
 12. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said granular material is a non-cohesive material selected from the group consisting of earth, sand, gravel and stone.
 13. The dike as recited in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic fill is a mixture of sand and water.
 14. A reinforced dike comprising a first layer of bags filled with granular material; a second layer of bags filled with granular material spaced from and disposed in substantially parallel relationship to said first layer; at least one additional layer of bags filled with granular materials placed over each of said first layer and second layer forming two spaced piles of bags disposed in substantially parallel arrangement; at least one porous non-woven textile reinforcing element placed between each such additional layer and the immediate subjacent layer in each of said spaced piles and secured to the immediate subjacent layer in each of said piles, and; a hydraulic fill disposed in the space between said piles; said bags being constructed of a textile material consisting of a non-woven sheet of continuous filaments, and said reinforcing elements extending between said piles through said hydraulic fill and being sufficiently porous to permit the passage of fluid therethrough and having sufficient strength to hold said granular material against substantial shifting and displacement from the dike structure.
 15. The dike as recited in claim 14 wherein said porous reinforcing elements are formed of strips of non-woven continuous filaments of a synthetic polymeric material. 